


The Long Way Around

by thunder_rolled_a_six



Category: Friends at the Table (Podcast)
Genre: "I was an only child for ten years", Cass was a child once with a family and a home, Family, Gen, Injury, Minor Violence, and i'm sad about the Pelagios family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-09
Updated: 2018-08-09
Packaged: 2019-06-24 03:18:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15621348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thunder_rolled_a_six/pseuds/thunder_rolled_a_six
Summary: A series of stories about the weather and the siblings of Cassander Timaeus Berenice.





	The Long Way Around

**Author's Note:**

> inspired by this thread https://twitter.com/absolutelybees/status/1026875408141103105

The last time Cassander sees Euanthe before being exiled, they are very, very still in a hospital bed. They are hooked up to an amount of wires that seems ridiculous, but Cass has almost finished their training as a doctor and they can name what each one is for. They can look at the x-rays and hear the mumbled “severed vertebrae” and “nerve damage” and know they can do nothing about it. The beeping of monitors is loud as they sit and count and recount the wires but it's not as loud as the Euanthe in their head saying “You're fine, don't be a baby.”

Please. You're fine. Please, you're fine don't be a baby. Get up, don't be a baby.

Euanthe is very, very still.

Outside, a storm rages.   
  


 

* * *

 

Cass is three and thinks themself very old and very brave. Yesterday, they saw a very large bug and did not run. But tonight it is very dark in their room, their own room that they just got because they are old and brave and don't need to sleep in their old bed in Sokrates’ room anymore because they aren't a baby. But it is very dark and there is a storm outside that is very loud and they think they might test out screaming just in case someone might be listening and would come into their new room with their new bed that is tall and the only one in here. 

It takes two minutes of periodic shrieking for Sokrates to stumble in sleepy eyed.

“What is it, little fish?”

Thunder rolls and the window panes shake and Cass burrows under their blankets and shrieks one more time, not because they are scared but just to make sure Sokrates knows they are alone in this new very big room and there's no one else in here and the storm sounds like it could be dangerous. They feel the bed dip as Sokrates climbs on.

“The storm?” They ask as they tug the blankets off Cass. Cass decides to let them, as they are six and even older and braver than Cass is, and probably will know what to do about being all alone while the noise is so loud and the lightning is so bright. Cass can see their face now that the blanket is gone and they don't look annoyed which Cass is relieved about. They are smiling, actually, and they say “I know what to do! Follow me!” 

Cass isn't too sure about leaving their room, even if it is too big and lonely, but Sokrates grabs their hand so that's ok. They start to cry a little bit as they are lead down the hall but it's only because they are tired and not because they are scared. They are old, and also brave. They stop in front of Euanthe’s door and Cass  _ very _ isn't sure about this, because Euanthe is eight and knows  _ everything _ and doesn't think Cass is old or brave and in fact thinks they are still a baby. But Sokrates knocks once and barges right in without waiting for an answer, calling their oldest siblings name as they go.

Euanthe looks very annoyed as they slump upwards and shoot a “What?” in Sokrates' direction.

Sokrates, not letting it affect them, grins with their usual unbridled enthusiasm and says “Anthe, tell the storm story!” 

Euanthe stares at the two of them a few moments longer and Cass considers just bailing and going back to their big lonely room and trying their best but then Euanthe sighs and drag themself off the edge of the bed, pulling their blanket along with them and resting it on their world weary eight year old shoulders. 

“Sit down,” they demand, and Cass follows the order immediately. Sokrates is bouncing a little with excitement, and ends up mostly upright but sort of on their knees.

“Way way long ago, back when our family lived on Earth in the sea, there was a child named-” and they hesitate a moment, glancing between Sokrates and Cass before sending a look Cass doesn't understand at Sokrates and continuing on. “A child named Cassander, who lived in a small house on the edge of the city with their family.” 

Cass’ eyes go wide. That's their name! They live with their family too!

“The edge of town was a nice place to live because it was easy to get all the fish there, you could just go in your backyard and catch 'em and eat 'em right then! But!” And Euanthe pulls their shoulders up real big and leans forward and the storm rolls in the window behind them, “there were also… pirates!” 

Lightning flashes and seconds later thunder booms and Cass screams just a little bit again and grabs Sokrates arm. Just to make sure they're listening to the story.

“The pirates were mean and a lot of them, and they would come and take all the fish before anybody else could get them and so everybody was very hungry. So little So- Cassander came up with a plan. 

“See, they were the best in all the town at sailing even though they were little, a baby practically.”

Cass stares, rapt. They aren't a baby, but they are sort of small they guess. 

“So Cass gets their boat and they sail out to the far off sea what no one goes to because that's where the Gods live.” Euanthe raises their blanket sail high.

“And no one else had ever made it there because the waves are so big and the rocks are so sharp. But Cassander was so little and clever they could sail right between everything! And after three days and three nights they arrived in palace of the gods. And they knelt before the god of fish that their town followed and asked for their help and do you know what they said?” 

“They'll help they'll help!” Cass exclaims as Sokrates shouts with laughter.

“NO!” Euanthe yells with their arms up as tall as they can go. “They don't care! They won't help at all! They have all the fish they need! So Cassander asks all the kind and caring gods they know but none of them want to help!”

Cass leans forward on their knees, holding their breath.

“Finally, they've asked all the gods they think will help. They're about to give up! But then… the  _ storm god approaches! _ ” The blanket turns into a cloak Euanthe seems huge and frightening. Cass cowers but they find themself smiling ear to ear.

“The storm god stalks up to the little Apostolosian. Count! They demand.”

“Count?” Cass asks.

“Count!” Euanthe replies triumphantly. “The storm god tells them to count! And when Cassander asks them count what? Why? The storm god tells them the secret! When you see the lightning, you count until you hear the thunder, and that's how you know how many miles away the storm is!”

“I can count! Really high!” Cass tells Euanthe.

“Good,” they say. “Because that's the storm god’s plan! They were sick and tired of the pirates using their storms to be mean and steal fish, so they'll send the BIGGEST storm anybody's EVER seen and only Cass will know how to get through because they know how to count where it is and all the pirates will get washed away!”

Cass claps in excitement and Sokrates lets out a whoop.

“So Cass sails back to their home and the pirates are waiting! But they know the secret and when the big storm comes they aren't afraid because they know how to get through it! And when the storm is cleared, all the pirates are gone and Cass is left sailing alone on calm waters and everyone in town says they're a hero!”

Cass and Sokrates cheer.

“After, Cass finds the storm god again. The god admits they had been lonely, since everyone was afraid of them. But Cass knows the secret now, and knows that they were the only one who would help when things were scary, they say they'll be their friend! And ever since then, the storm god has been our family’s patron, and we'll never get hurt in a storm because we know how to get through it!”

Cass looks out the window at the pelting rain and howling wind. A friend! A friend who sends the storms! That isn’t very scary at all, they think. 

Lightning flashes and the siblings count together til the thunder arrives.

 

* * *

Cass had always hated the palace strategy room, though they had only been in it a few times growing up. It was so stuffy in there always, even with the windows open. Something about the direction the room faced and the windows placement made it so there was never even so much as a breeze. And since returning from September they seem to spend most of their time there. They sit in their chair thinking bitterly that even  _ The Kingdom Come _ had air conditioning as Sokrates paces the room, unable to be still same as when they were a child.

“You need to visit the Irenaeus family. They’ve been some of the most staunch loyalists, and you need to tell them you support the demarchy, and to stop fucking lobbying for me to dissolve the whole thing. The Delia’s were repeating some of their bullshit the other day, I couldn't believe it! If they don't cut it out they could be an actual problem, they're all awful but people still unfortunately listen to them.”

Cass sighs, sweat dripping down their neck and tickling between their gills. “And you think a visit from the Apokine will dissuade them? Shall I fly over in the thing, descend in glorious sunlight? Sokertes, I know it's been awhile but I don't remember being an idio- why are you laughing?”

Sokrates had made a face and burst into laughter halfway through their response. Their eyes crinkle up like they always did, though there are more lines there now, and their shoulders shake.

“Sorry,” they gasp, trying to cover their mouth to hold the mirth in. “It's just- Sokertes? I haven't heard that since you were a little fish!”

Cass flushes immediately. When they were small they had been incapable of saying Sokrates’ name right, and also of being able to hear what they had been saying wrong. It had sounded right to them! They hadn't slipped up in years, though they also hadn't been saying their siblings name very often.

“Shut up! I can say your name! Sokrates!” 

Sokrates lets out another guffaw and Cass never could resist laughing when their older sibling did.

 

* * *

 

Cass has 17 stitches and had been giving away their pain meds when Koda wasn't looking for a week when they got the letter. Here at the tail end of losing a war they have too few supplies, too little food, not enough of anything. The last attack had cost them a whole wing of the facility and nearly cost Cass their liver, and they are far from the worst injured here. It hurts to move, still, but others need relief more. 

The paper is thick. They recognize their parents’ stationary without having to read the address. They are sitting at the table in the cafeteria closest to the window and it has always disturbed them how nice the weather is on this planet. To sew skin and set bones and dig out bullets and shrapnel while the sun is soft and the air is the perfect pleasant cool feels wrong.

They are so tired, and the words blur a little as they read. Euanthe has woken up. Woke up, apparently, five months ago, and only now has someone thought to tell them. They will be resuming their duties as heir, you will receive a small stipend once your service is up, kindly do not return to the palace, fuck you very much. 

They want to call Sokrates and bitch about their oldest sibling, who probably saw nothing wrong with this.  _ Cass? The baby? No, no send them away _ . They want to protest that they've done so much in the past few years, have saved people, have managed, somehow, to save more than they have lost in this too bright facility among the trees, they don't deserve this. They want to go  _ home _ .

They want to hug Euanthe very, very tight. They want to see them moving again.

But their lunch break, taken at 16:45 because free time here has to be stolen in small increments wherever you can find it, is almost over and what they will do,  _ all _ they can do, is shove the letter in their pocket and get back to work.

 

* * *

 

Cass and Sokrates ended up falling asleep in Euanthe’s bed. Cass is squished in between their siblings when they wake up, rubbing sleep from their eyes, but it's ok because they are pretty small and it's warm here and safe. They look around the room and gasp and sit up as they realize they were awoken by their parent sitting on the end of the bed. Taking care not to jostle their siblings too much, they extricate themself from the blankets and crawl to their reaching arms.

“Hello, littlest one!” Their voice and smile and hair is soft. “I wondered where all my children had gone.”

“Here! We came here!” They pat their parent’s shoulder, wanting to reassure them. They know it's frightening not being able to find people. “I wasn't afraid but it was very loud and Anthe said I fought pirates but a long time ago and you just have to count to see how close it is and I can count really high and did you know I saw a bug yesterday it was very big and it was shiny!”

The Apokine laughs and Cass isn't sure why but they like the sound and they smile real big. They decide to start singing a song but they can't remember any so they start making one up as their siblings begin to stir. 

Later that day, in the bright afternoon sun, they'll put on their rain boots that are a little too big but it's ok because they're shooting up quick everyone says so, and they’ll stomp around in the puddles the storm left, so big to them it seems like a spattering of new lakes have appeared around the palace. Sent by their friendly storm god, maybe, a gift just for Cass to play in. They take the long way around, to see what they might find.

  
  
  



End file.
